The Admirer: The Doll Collector Sequel

Chapter 8: Kristopher

As I typed in my password, to unlock my computer, the screen on my phone lit up. I glanced at it, furrowing my brows as I realized that it was a text from an unknown number.

No one I didn't know had my personal number. I always used my work phone for any kind of communication.

323-555-6281: Hi

Me: Who is this?

323-555-6281: Your secret admirer :)

My stomach curled, but I maintained a composed face. I could feel Backstrom's suspicious gaze on me. Typical woman, suspicious of the activity on a man's phone. She had single white female written all over her.

Me: You have the wrong number

323-555-6281: I don't :)
323-555-6281: I'm your secret admirer, Kris :)
323-555-6281: I love your work :)
323-555-6281: You inspire me :)

It was him. The smiley faces at the end of each sentence was irritating me, yet the reason was unknown to me. It was as if he were teasing me, but not quite.

Me: What do you want?

323-555-6281: your admiration in return :)

Me: You're disrupting a process, how dare you step into my territory?

323-555-6281: You laid dormant for too long :)
323-555-6281: It's because of HER, isn't it?

No smiley face.

Me: Who are you referring to?

323-555-6281: You know exactly who

Still no smiley face.

323-555-6281: She'll be your weakness, and your downfall

I had to take it as he was angry when he didn't send a smiley face. But Maria's presence in my life should have no bearing on his mood. Correlation was not causation.

Me: Is that a threat?

323-555-6281: It's the inevitable truth, and that disappoints me

He was angry.

Me: Who the hell are you?

323-555-6281: You secret admirer :)
323-555-6281: and soon, the one who replaces you :)

Me: You're going to get caught, the FBI is here now and they will find you

323-555-6281: You keep my secret, and I'll keep yours :)

I gripped my phone, and relaxed it back on the desk top. With the same composure riding my face, I opened up the phone number database to look his up. I casually typed it in, and glanced at Backstrom momentarily. She had her face buried in the box of evidence, it I knew she was watching somehow.

The rainbow wheel spun on my screen as the system searched for the number.

No Matches Found

He was using a burner phone. Smart, smart. He was even smarter to get my personal phone, where the messages wouldn't be traced if the station pulled the records for my work phone.

"Interesting." Backstrom said, splitting the tension building up inside of me.

I raised my eyes to her again.

"What?" I asked, trying my hardest not to sound so irritated with her presence.

"A witness you spoke to, Barbara, she was killed."

"Yes."

"And she was the only person who had seen him?"

"It would seem that way, however, if you compare her sketch to the one Carole Richardson, the librarian gave, they don't match. Barbara was in fact lying."